“The joy is seeing others grow, and knowing the gold is right here, in the estates, in the people God is raising up.”
In recent years Revd Andi Thomas, vicar of St. Andrew’s Church in Chelmsley Wood, noticed that many in the church community lacked confidence in their ability to lead.
In response, St Andrew’s introduced a leadership course designed to help people discover and develop the gifts God has given them.
Become is a ten-week programme for leaders from estates and low-income communities who may not fit traditional training pathways. The course enables people to become leaders in their local contexts.
The course explores biblical principles of leadership and equips participants with the confidence and skills to serve in their church and community.
Building confidence to lead
Andi describes how the course brings people together to journey alongside one another – encouraging, challenging and supporting each other as they grow.
For Church Warden Frances, the course inspired her to pursue further education focused on supporting young people, giving her additional skills and knowledge to use in her ministry.
“I love young people!” she says, “I make sure that it’s fun for them to be here, which is what we do here at St. Andrews.”
For Briony, Family and Community Worker at St Andrew’s, the course provided the confidence to launch a post-natal support group that had long been on her heart.
“I felt like it just gave me the courage, actually, to set up a post-natal support group, which had kind of been on my heart for a long time, but I didn’t have enough courage to set it up.”
Since launching, the group has supported almost 100 mothers, helping them build friendships and access a safe space during the early months of parenthood.
The course has also helped others step into leadership in ways they never expected.
Kaleb, who volunteers with St Andrew’s football ministry, says: “I wouldn’t have even considered leadership before the course. Before, I was just, no confidence, anxiety through the roof, but now I’m stepping into roles I never would have dreamed of going into.”
Through coaching football, Kaleb now helps bring together children and families from across Chelmsley Wood, building relationships and confidence both on and off the pitch.
The importance of growing local leaders
The impact has been significant.
Every participant from the first leadership course has gone on to take on some form of leadership responsibility, either within the church or in the wider community.
“It’s important that we grow leaders,” Andi explains. “We’re not just consumers, but we’re participants in the gospel.”
He believes leadership is not reserved for a select few.
“Whether you think you’re a leader or not, you are a leader. And here, on this estate, we want to encourage people to use their skills, the skills that God has given them.”
The Become leadership programme has been made possible through support from Church of England Birmingham.
Over the next few years we are investing in more support for churches to raise-up and grow local leaders from within their communities.
The Growing Churches video series shares stories of impact from local church communities across Birmingham and the region.